The 2012 ING New York City Marathon is Canceled – Letter from New York Road Runners to the Participants of the 2012 ING New York City Marathon.

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that the 2012 ING New York

City Marathon has been canceled.

The decision was made after it became increasingly apparent that the people

of our city and the surrounding tri-state area were still struggling to recover

from the damage wrought by the recent extreme weather conditions. That

struggle, fueled by the resulting extensive and growing media coverage

antagonistic to the marathon and its participants, created conditions that

raised concern for the safety of both those working to produce the event

and its participants. While holding the race would not have required diverting

resources from the recovery effort, it became clear that the apparent widespread perception to the contrary had become the source of controversy and division.

Neither NYRR nor the City could allow a controversy over the marathon to result

in a dangerous situation or to distract attention from all the critica lly important

work that is being done to help New York City recover from the storm.

NYRR, in partnership with the Rudin Family and the ING Foundation, has established the "Race to Recover" Marathon Fund to aid New Yorkers impacted by the storm. Over $2.6 million has been raised, including a $1 million donation by NYRR. We are asking you to join us by making a $26.20 donation, or whatever you can afford, to help bring recovery and hope to those communities and families most affected.

Proceeds will go to Hurricane Sandy Relief, administered by the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City.

You can also donate to the relief effort through NYRR's fundraisin g platform, CrowdRise, which includes the American Red Cross and other charities.

NYRR will redeploy the marathon resources and materials toward the recovery effort. We will share the details of this project as they are finalized in the days ahead.

We all recognize this has been a very challenging time in New York City that has impacted so many people, including you, our runners.

Please know that this is one of the toughest decisions we have ever made, and that we deeply appreciate your support.

This e-mail was sent by New York Road Runners, whose premier event is the ING New York City Marathon. To ensure future delivery of NYRR e-mails, please make sure this e-mail address is added to your safe sender list.  

Copyright © 2012 New York Road Runners, 9 East 89th Street, New York, NY 10128.